Stammering, stuttering and dysfluency all mean the same thing, a difficulty with the co-ordination and flow of speech. Syllables, words or phrases may be repeated, sounds may be stretched out or stuck completely.

For many children it is a brief phase lasting a few weeks or months but for others it can last longer. Stammering often starts between the ages of 2 and 4 years, around the time when children are learning lots of new words and sounds. This is also when they have lots of ideas and questions they want to ask. It can appear very gradually or appear suddenly, almost overnight. For many children it is highly variable with episodes when it can be very noticeable and others when it is much milder.

Around 60% of children who stammer have a family history. Although stammering can often start around a period of change like starting nursery or a new sibling arriving, these are not the cause. Nobody causes stammering but there are lots of ways to help.